comma after long introductory clause [conjunction]: When..., there

godfreychan

Member
Cantonese - Hong Kong
When Mr and Mrs Dursley woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing...

I have no idea why present simple is used here. And it seems to me that "our story starts" is an independent clause, why there's a comma but not a full stop after it?

Can I write the sentence like this?
When Mr and Mrs Dursley woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday(, )our story start(ed)(. )There was nothing...

Thank you!
 
  • Add in "when" (or another relative pronoun) between "Tuesday" and "our". I suspect you'll understand better.

    => When Mr and Mrs Dursley woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday when/where/on which our story starts, there was nothing...

    In other words, she is talking about a specific Tuesday - the one on which the story began.
     
    Add in "when" (or another relative pronoun) between "Tuesday" and "our". I suspect you'll understand better.

    => When Mr and Mrs Dursley woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday when/where/on which our story starts, there was nothing...

    In other words, she is talking about a specific Tuesday - the one on which the story began.

    Thank you! But I still don't understand why present simple (starts) is used.
     
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